Scholarly Research Topic

I am trying to learn about methods of abortion.

I am trying to learn about methods of abortion, because I want to be informed of possible side effects of different methods, and which is safest.

I am doing this in order to better educate myself of whether abortion should be justified, and also spread the word/educate young women who think they might be pregnant or want to know what are the consequences of certain methods of abortion.

Revising my Paragraph

Whether someone is prochoice or prolife, the decision inevitably comes down to the woman who might want an abortion.  People outside do not matter when it comes down to the decision, because they are not in the woman’s shoes at that time, and their reason behind it.  Although I agree that abortion is essentially ending a life, as it is possible for the fertilized egg to become a fully grown person, I believe that there is no right for someone to say that women should not be granted the option of abortion because it is their body, and what they would like to do to it is their decision alone.  After watching the movie If These Walls Could Talk, it showed me what abortion was like before the case Roe Versus Wade.  It was on influence that persuaded me to be prochoice.

Whether people are prolife or prochoice, it does not matter, because for most, it does not affect them.  It is just their opinion.  Both sides have valid arguments, but when it comes down to it, it is the woman who is pregnant who ultimately has to make the choice.  I have doubt that women have an abortion just to say they want to experience it, but it is more of what the consequences would be if they do not have an abortion (Greenwood).  It is the freedom of the woman who decides to get the abortion to be able to get one, and I feel that no one should condemn her just because she has one.

Extra Credit: Who was Blamed?

First of all, I want to say that I am sorry for what the children experienced.  No one should have to go through the tragedy of being abused by a pedophile.  What Sandusky did was repulsive and unforgivable.  He should be the one who media need to post.  Instead the media posts that a Penn State football coach did so, and thus Penn State University is getting a bad reputation because of the unforgivable acts of one man.  Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier are getting the most heat right now, and were fired as of November 9^th.  I feel that the Board of Administration has acted too soon, and in the chaos that is the media, they took away two figures that the Penn State were proud of.  I would have at least like for the Board of Administration to allow Paterno finish out the season, as it was his career, and he did do everything he was supposed to do.  This fiasco has also made me realize of how twisted the media is.  For the first time, I am on the other side of the television, and I feel that some of the news focuses too much on the actions of what the Board of Administration is doing, instead of what they should report.  A man by the name of Jerry Sandusky, who molested/raped children should be put on the media and embarrassed, rather than the university itself.

Issue Relevance to My Topic

Clinic Workers Plead Guilty to Murder

The issue stated in the article was about the murder of babies by abortion clinics who also killed a woman due to an overdose of painkiller drugs.  They pleaded guilty to third degree murder, and are being punished for their doings.  The article stated that the doctor operated on babies that were in post abortion state, and did so by cutting the spinal column with scissors.  The author’s stance on the issue seems relatively unbiased.  If anything it would be leaning towards prolife, because the reason can be seen in the article.  The author merely stated the facts, and truth is, it is a very sad story pertaining to abortions.  The author did not how what responses the doctors have to say for themselves, and it makes it look like all abortion doctors are murderers.

            I do not agree with the writer being prolife, because it completely neglects the stance of the person who is pregnant.  For instance, the person who wanted the abortion must have known that there were risks to having an abortion, and the worst did happen for an unfortunate person.  The author also did not show that having an abortion is safe for most of the time.  This was one abortion clinic out of many that had unjust principles.  I feel that the author needed to state that it was only one incident, and also state that most abortions are safe.  I also feel that this was a scare tactic to make people reconsider abortion and try to get people to go through with their birth, and that to me seems wrongful.

            Although I did not agree with the writer, he or she did do things that I did like.  For instance, it was concise, and very persuasive and concealed in such a way, that I almost agreed with him or her that all abortions are bad.  I will try to incorporate this writer’s tactics such as stating powerful examples of something that goes for my stance.  However, I feel that it would also be difficult to find someone who is willing to say that they had an abortion and are happy with the fact that they did go through with one.  I also would like to use the writer’s way of manipulating the title, into not as concrete of what the story was about.  It attracts people who are possibly neutral to the stance of prolife or prochoice on abortion, but persuades those readers into becoming prolife.  It also looks like the writer does not have a stance, but he or she is definitely prolife, because her evidence and story supports that in a strong manner.  The writer did a successful job at executing the article, and I want to emulate the writing, but with my stance instead, and make it longer.

Support or Against?

Abortion

The article was about prolife advocates worried after Obama’s election, and their long fight to end abortion.  The advocates of prolife are worried about an administration that is prochoice.  I disagree with their side, as prochoice is giving the person of concern the option to have an abortion if needed.  It could have been a one time mistake, or even a rape that ended in a pregnancy.  There are too many intricate things that are intertwined together to be prolife.  Imagine if America was prolife, women cannot get an abortion are then financially, physically, and mentally burdened, so much more than if they had the choice to abort the pregnancy.  I feel that a prochoice is the correct side, and that there is enough support through sciences, both social and scientifically, to prove the point.

TIMES, THE WASHINGTON (01/31/2009). "Abortion". The Washington times (Washington, D.C. : 1982) (0732-8494),  p. A.10.

Illegally downloaded songs

This article was about young people between the ages of 14 and 28 downloading songs illegally.  Stating through the fact that almost half of the songs on a person’s music player is copied from someone else, it is clear that the article wanted to point out the issue of illegal downloading.  While stating the issue is good to get the public aware of the facts, it does not help the fact that it still exists.  I feel that something more should be done than offering a subscription based legal way of downloading and streaming music.  There are many ways to go for this topic, and I feel that there could be more done

Sabbagh, Dan (06/16/2008). "Illegal download survey shocks industry; Teens average more than 800 pirated songs on players". The Ottawa citizen (1986) (0839-3222),  p. A.8.

Speed of Light

This article is about a high school teacher and two students suggesting that they may have made a particle travel faster than the speed of light.  Through the years however, recently it was once again proved wrong.  Support is still for the fact that nothing is faster than the speed of light.  I believe that this is true, because it is a law of physics that should not be able to be broken.  In theory, if something does travel faster than speed of light can lead to more scientific discoveries and innovations, but it is highly unlikely for something to travel faster than the speed of light.  My opinion on this topic, is that the rules of physics is steadfast, and no matter what, it is impossible to have anything travel faster than the speed of light.  I believe that some people are just wasting their efforts trying to do so.

Faster Than the Speed of Light?. US Fed News Service, Including US State News 26 Feb 2007: null. 27 Oct 2011.

Nintendo or Sony?

Handheld gaming has been a success for many companies.  The majority of domination seems to come from Nintendo, with its successful DS series handheld gaming devices.  It has the original Nintendo branding, which can date back to the first Gameboy that was widely popular among kids.  It’s the classic brand that everyone knows, and one of the top toys to buy as a gift for a child.  The newest line from Nintendo is the 3DS, which comes in two colors when it first launched.  It appeals to both boys and girls, and gives people the ability to play 3 dimensional games without glasses.  It features a flip design, which protects the dual screens and buttons.  It is a square solid piece of plastic that can be put in a pocket, which makes it portable for anyone wanting gaming on the go.  It brings ease of use to the consumers.  It also features small game cartridges that are easy to bring out, however also easy to lose.  It is one of the most popular handhelds up to date.

            Every great thing has a rival, in this case, a competing rival for Nintendo’s 3DS, is the Sony PlayStation Portable, also known as PSP.  The original PSP was a competitor made by Sony to rival Nintendo’s Gameboy.  It is one of the most popular devices in the market as well, and also a great gift for a child.  This device compares to Nintendo, because it is also a brand that everyone knows, Sony.  This gaming rig however, is intended for a more mature audience, closer to teens.  It only comes in black when it came out, and was portable like the 3DS, hence the word “portable” in the name.  It is different than the 3DS, because it focused to be seen more businesslike and sleek.  It doesn’t have a flip screen, but offers a bigger screen that can play some intense games.  Once again, it brings ease to consumers with its size and portability much like Nintendo’s.  The original PSP had a cartridge called UMD, however Sony decided to rid its device of the cartridge with its newest series called PSP Go, and the future PS Vita.

            Both gaming devices are a pleasure to play with, but they aim for a different audience.  Nintendo aims for people of all ages, focused a little bit on children.  Sony aims for a more mature audience, of teens and older, who want to play intense games on the go.  Both are good at executing their form and shape, and in reality, one doesn’t trump the other aesthetically even if they are intended for different age groups.

iPhone Merit and Criteria for an Evaluation

            The iPhone 4 has many features and it is one of the most revolutionary phones on the market today.  Apple has created extraordinary phones since the very beginning with the original iPhone.  In the first few weeks of sale, the iPhones are always off the shelves and sold out for at least a good month, before there is stock for the non-apple fanatics to get their hands on one.  Apple always creates top quality products that loyal customers just love.

            How should the iPhone in general be categorized? A phone? An iPod? A portable gaming device?  Truth is, the iPhone is able to do just about anything, and it should not even be considered a phone.  An original definition of a phone is a means of communication between people.  Most phones today, which are mostly smartphones, can do so much more than have people communicate with each other.  People can use their phone as a camera or video camera which can capture important memories.  Or even use it as a GPS when someone is lost.  Perhaps the most common use for the phone in addition to communicate would be to listen to music and also play games.  It has created a portal for developers to make new and exciting games, and the phones are their saving grace, giving many job opportunities to make applications for the phones.

            Criteria to measure how close the iPhone 4 is to a fantastic phone would be user friendliness, speed, battery life, camera feature, and call signal strength.  Camera feature would be a criteria, because almost all phones today come with one.  In user interface friendliness, the iPhone is easy to get used to, and move around in.  Apple’s operating system, iOS, is one of the most user friendly systems out there, that anyone can pick up an iPhone, and the gestures to navigate the phone seem natural.  The phone does not even come with a manual!

            Speed, with an A4 processing chip in the iPhone 4, it can handle applications with ease, and it “just works.”  Opening an application only takes one simple touch, and in an instant, what you want is on screen.  Typing on the screen is also simple, because due to the speed, there is no lagging involved, so it feels very smooth.  It also has a decent battery life, as normal usage can deplete the battery as low as half of its cycle.  However, for intense applications, it could run the phone out before the day is over.  For a phone that can do so much, it definitely has a decent battery life.

            The camera integrated into the iPhone is not bad, but not the best out there.  It has a five megapixel camera which is clear enough for a decent picture and video, however, most phones out there now can do eight megapixels or more, depending on which phone.  It also includes an led flash, which helps with the battery life, and is simple to use.

            Call signal strength is a weak point of the iPhone 4.  It had a major antenna flaw, which was due to the hardware and could not be fixed easily.  In my experience, I have had many call failures, dropped calls, and fuzzy noise.  It is one major down point when the even the name of the product is iPhone, and it is the feature that has one of the biggest flaws in the iPhone 4.  Other than that however, it is a phone regardless, and millions of people have bought it already, so whether it is a phone worthy for a person’s pocket, is up to the person himself.

New Blog Design

Blogs should be easy to read and pleasing to look at.  Memorable blogs however will look a cut above the rest.  I remember seeing some awesome websites, and the reason I remember them was because it was unique and different.  My blog has a black background with white text.  It is different, but easy to read.  The colors that were put on the black makes the blog have life, and not just have it black and white.  The texts of my writings are also easy to read.  They are not like Comic Sans MS where it looks childish, but professional and clean.  The title of my blog “YYam’s blog” is a different font, because it shows uniqueness and some creativity and leniency.  I have also seen some websites, where they are plain and boring with a white background and black text.  It’s like reading a document meant for lawyers fighting for a case.

            Blogs should represent people’s characteristics, and I feel that my blog is an excellent representation of my characteristics and personality.  The black background gives it a mysterious look to it.  For a college classroom about rhetoric and writing, I would say that my blog is appropriate, but could use some improvements.  I feel my blog expresses my writing as well.  It gives the reader a clear picture through the clarity of the text which was white on black that gives it originality.

            I chose the new design for my blog to freshen it up.  A whiter background makes the print easy to read, and having a gray background makes it distinct.  The gray background is also to make it represent like a newspaper.  I made it look like a newspaper because that is what blogging essentially is, news, but opinionated.  I also blue in most of the text to support Penn State’s blue and white.  It goes with the motto, “I bleed blue and white.”  I chose white text over black still, because black on grey would still look like an eye sore, unlike white on gray.  A site that inspired me is Apple’s main site.  It has a gray background that is classy, which fits for an English 15 class.  It is a refreshing feel compared to the previous black background.  I also liked New York Time’s font different and it was still professional.  For my blog, I chose a more relaxed title font, because it represents my characteristics.

            The purpose to refresh for a cleaner blog is to make it easier to read and pleasing to look at.  The hyperlinks are in a distinct color difference between clicked and unclicked.  I also feel that having the background white represents something.  It represents innocence and clarity.  Cleaning up my blog makes it look nicer, and I actually have a thought process when I chose the color scheme, font, size of certain texts, as well as the width of the main article versus the side bar.

Investigative Report Blog

1.

In the study lounge in Findlay Commons, you sit at a desk noticing how people around you seem to be diligently working on their homework.  You have your laptop open, typing up a research paper for a class, and you feel you phone vibrate.  Curious, you take it out and see that it was a Facebook notification.  This starts the chain reaction, to open your browser, log onto Facebook, and see that your friend had posted a comment on your wall.  You then read other statuses, and post birthday messages to people, who you barely know.  Before you realize it, you spent ten minutes on the paper, and two hours on Facebook.  Now it’s ten o’clock at night, and you type up a paper, worthy of trash.  People often go on Facebook to check what’s new and feel that they are connected when they read other people’s post and pictures.  They often multitask homework with Facebook, and unknowingly pass the majority of the time on Facebook instead of their work.  We tend to make careless errors when we are distracted, and Facebook is the perfect distraction.  Not only is it found on your computer, it could also be on your phone, which makes it all the more distracting.  Some might even say they are addicted to Facebook, where deleting their account seems like an implausible feat.

2.

Mike George-Freshman

“I don’t use Facebook too often, just use it keep involved sometimes.”

            “Facebook is a huge distraction for some, thankfully, I don’t have this problem.”

Anonymous-age 38

            “I use Facebook to connect with my peers, as well as family.  I don’t go on it often, but I use it to keep in touch, and know what’s going on in my friends’ and families’ lives.”

3.

Facebook connects so many people together, that anything can become viral. An example would be having to pay for the service

            http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/press-here/130546308.html

Something such as Facebook could start a big movement

            http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351070/Egypt-protests-Twitter-Facebook-blocked-Government.html

Grades could possibly go down

            http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10217704-71.html

People could seem addicted to Facebook

            http://articles.cnn.com/2009-04-23/health/ep.facebook.addict_1_facebook-page-facebook-world-social-networking?_s=PM:HEALTH

4.

I feel that I also need to talk about twitter, and other websites that distracts people on the computer.  Maybe even change the question to what causes GPA declines for students.  I want to research more about the companies of Twitter and Facebook, and see what comes up, statistically.

We are...Number One

The issue of the piece is Penn State being the number one party school, and what that title entails.  The main issue with being the number one party school is the drinking involved.  As stated, although it is part of the college experience, it has become bothersome for most people living around on campus.  Public health is a reason for the issue to be investigated.  The neighbors of the frat parties have a major problem with drunken students going to the bathroom in the lawn, littering everywhere, be loud at three in the morning, and vandalizing the streets.  The intended audience would definitely be the students at Penn State, the community, and alumni.

            A fact that was really sad was the one with the guy found dead, after falling and hitting his head after a fraternity party.  Even a death would not change the habit of college drinkers, because it was not about the amount he drank, but the fact that no one walked home with him.  It tells the audience to make sure you always help a person out, for instance when they are walking home.  A detail that explain how drinking affects the community, would be the people going to the bathroom on private property, or stealing a stop sign from a street.  There was also the example of the police stopping for girls who asked for help, and wanted a ride.  One girl ran, while the other two held the officer back telling the girl to run.  It’s these ridiculous stories that show how drunk some people are.  The students see it as a great reputation, wanting to keep it going, while the officials and community want the drinking to be toned down.

Some interviews and research that were provided offered insight of what living at State College feels like.  Although I feel that this was very bias, it is still true for most residence that the endless parties are bothersome at times.  They interviewed a wide variety of people, from sober underclassmen, to drunken students, to fraternity people, to state officials.  The interviews were very informative and relevant to the issue.  The one death was sad, and as the President of Penn State said, although it may have a little impact to the people in school, he says that the freshmen that come in would just start the cycle all over again.

There were many narrative techniques used by the creator, but the ones that stood out the most, was the use of dialogue from the interviews as well as the dialogue of the parties and what it was like to be there.  They also made it as a radio talk, not a written piece, which made the amount of audience even bigger.  It was also more affective for the listeners, because emotion could almost be felt in the voices, unlike a black and white print.  Since it was on a radio show, there were more people who listened and got something out of it.  The narrator gave points of view from everyone, even though it was mainly the people who were against drinking at Penn State.